Treatment of wires, cords, threads, and the like.



W. A. PHILLIPS & F. HUTGHINS.

TREATMENT OF WIRES, GORDS, THREADS, AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 8,1908.

902,445 Q Patented Oct. 27, 1908.

WILLIAM ALFRED PHILLIPS AND FREDERICK HUTCHINS, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

- TREATMENT OF WIRES,*CORDS, THREADS, JAND'THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

fPatented Oct. 27, 1906.

Application filed June8, 1908. Serial No. 437,886.

Tocll whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM ALFRED PHILLIPS and FREDERICK HUTCHINS, subjects of the King of England, and residing in London, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Treatment of Wires, Cords, Threads, and the Like, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the .treatment of wires, cords, threads and the like, and has particular reference to the polishing or finishing of the surface of wires which are covered with a fibrous material, such as cotton, coated with wax, a varnish or other substance. It is however, to be understood that the invention is applicable to the treatment of cords, threads and the like and also to the cleaning or polishing of uncovered wires.

For the purpose of this specification the inyention is referred to as relating to the treatment of, say, cotton-covered wire as used for electrical purposes.

According to this invention the wire, after being coated, say by passing it through a bath of suitable substance, such for example as wax or varnish, is subjected to the action of a rotatable rubber, whereof a rubbing surface making line contact with the rubbed wire displaces it out of coincidence with the axis of rotation of the rubber. This rubber is intended to bear upon the wire for a consid erable portion of its length, and is preferably in the form of a rotatable spindle having an eccentric hole or channel through which the wire is drawn. For example, the spindle may be provided with a spiral groove in which the wire lies, the depth of thegroove being such as to cause the bottom to make rubbing contact with the surface of the wire.

The depth, length and pitch of the spiral groove in the rotating tool will determine the amount of the wiping and polishing action and the direction of rotation is preferably such that the excess of varnish or other coating material as-it iswi ed or rubbed off by the tool is thrown bac into the bath from which the wire emerges. After passing through the tool, the wire is preferably drawn through a drying chamber such as a heated tube, whence it-proeeeds-toa windin drum passing though a second polishing too on its way, If such further polishing be des1re 1 In the accompanying draw' s, Figure 1 is an elevation of one apparatu ment of wire according to this invention,

or the treati Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of thepolishing tool, 3a section on the line 3:3 of Fig. 2,; ig. 4 an elevation with parts In section of the tool-holder and driving mechanism, Figs. 5 -and 6 are respectively an elevae tion anda plan of the bottom portion of the drying tube. Fig. 7 is a section of a modified construction of polishing tool also according to this invention and is a section through the line 7-7 of Fig. 8, that figure being aplan of the'tool. Figs. 4, 5 an are drawn to a larger scale than Fig. 1,.and Figs. 2, 3, 7 and 8 are drawn to a still larger scale.

Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.

With reference first to Figs. 1 to 6, the wire A previously covered, say, with cotton is drawn from a drum B round a pulley C so placed that the wire is immersed L1 the material such as wax'or varnish in a bath D.

From the pulley Cthe wire A passes through parts of'the apparatus hereinafter described and is wound on a drum B The pulley C is supported by a bracket attached to part of the framing E, and that portion of the framing also supports a bearing F for a toolholder G. This tool-holder 1s provided with a pulley G round which'passes a driving cord H driven from a pulley J and passing over guide-pulleys J. In the tool-holder G fits the shank of a spindle K. This spindle is formed with a spiral groove K the depth of the groove, as may be seen by reference to Fig. 3, her: g shown as about half the diameter of the spindle. The shank of the spi'tdle K is bored concentrically as at K so that the wire A may-pass'up through it. Vertically above the tool K and its holder is a tube L supported, as at L and U, the lower support L being in the form of a box or chamber Into which hot air or other heating agent may be conduotedthrough a ipe L This heatietg may be accomplished ygas if desired, and a tube L is placed in the chamber L to shield the wire A passing through it from direct contact with the fumes. A slot L allows the wire A to be placed within the tube without threading it through, After leaving the tube L, the wire A passes through a second wire is displaced by the rubbing surface of the tool from the straight line Wh1ch it would make if the tool were not present. This is due to the fact that the spiral groove K is not polishing action of the tool will dependupon the degree of the displacement of the wire.

The operation of the apparatus is asfollowsThe drum B being driven from any suitable source of power, the wire A is drawn from the'drum B throu 'h the coating device D, the first tool K, the rying tube L and the second tool K. The first tool by its rubbing action polishes and finishes the coating of and directs it vertically downwards.

ing its passage through the-tube L, the coat-- wax or varnish brought up by the wire from the bath D, and also owing to the shape of the spiral K and the direction of rotation of the tool, forces back the removed wax or varnish and throws it off. A tube M sur-.

rounding the tool K revents the removed coating material from ying outside the bath During is dried and if the varnish or other coating material be made with a volatile solvent which is Worth recovering, the tube L may be connected to an exhausting fan for the purpose of drawing off, for condensation, the volatilized products. The wire A with its dried coating now passes through the second tool K which gives it a final polishing, and the finished wire is then wound on to the drum B In some cases, as for example when using a viscous varnish, it is desirable to increase the throwing off action of the tool, and for that purpose it may be pro-' vided with a flange or plate K at its bottom end as shown in Figs-7 and 8.-

Although in the above description the polishing of cotton-covered wire has been given by way of example, it is to be understood that the process is a plieable to wires covered with other materia and coated With any varnishing, insulating, Waxing, glazing or the like substance, and also that the apparatus may be used in the treatment of cords, twines, threads and the like. Further, the coating or polishing material need not necessarily be in a liquid or plastic form; a dry substance may be used, for instance,graphite or bronze powder. Or in some cases, such for exam le, as the lusterin of yarns, cords and the li e, the tool may e 'ect the olishing by friction alone or with the aid 0 a lubricant such as soap. Again, the apparatus may be used for cleaning and polishln the surface of uncovered metallic wire. 0 prevent or lessen the wearing of the tool, it may convenientlybe made of steel and hardened.

What we claim as our invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In apparatus for the treatment of wires,

'cords' threads and the like, the combination of mears for moving the wire in the direction of its length, a rotatable rubber having a rubbing surface so disposed that it makes line-contact with the wire and displaces it out of coincidence With the axis of rotation of the rubber and means for rotating the rubber.

2. In apparatus for the treatment of wires, cords, threads and the like the combination of a rotatable spindle having an eccentric hole or channel, means for rotating the s indle and means for drawing the wire through said hole or channel in rubbing contact with the wall thereof.

3. In apparatus for the treatment of wires, cords, threads and the like the combination of a rotatabletool having an eccentric spiral groove therein, means for rotating the tool and means for drawing the wire through said groove in rubbing contact with the wall thereof.

4. In apparatus for the treatment of wires, cords, threads and the like the combination of a rotatable tool having an eccentric spiral groove therein, means for rotating the spindle, a coating device, means for drawing the wire through the coating device and throug the groove in the rotating tool in contact with the wall of said groove.

5. In apparatus for the treatment of wires, cords, threads and the like the combination 'of a rotatable tool having an eccentric spiral groove therein, means for rotating the tool, a coating device, a drying chamber, and means for drawing the wire through the coating device, the roove in the tool and the drying chamber, su stantially as set forth.

6. In apparatus for the treatment of Wires, cords, threads and the like the combination of a rotatable tool having an eccentric spiral groove therein, a coating device on one side of said tool, a drying chamber on the other side of said tool, a second rotatable tool having an eccentric spiralgroove therein and situated on the other side of said dryin chamber, means for rotating the tools an means for drawin the wire through the coating device, t e first tool, the drying chamber and the second tool successively.

7. In apparatus for the treatment of wires, cords, threads and the like the combination with a rotatable tool having an eccentric spiral groove therein of a flange or end late, substantially as and for the purpose. set fbrth.

' In testimony whereof we, have signed our names to specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

' WILLIAM ALFRED PHILLIPS. I FREDERICK HUTCHINS.

Witnesses:

GEO. H. ELLIs, M. E. PILLEY. 

